Linus Ullmark refreshed, confident as Ottawa Senators enter new season

After a season that tested him both personally and professionally, Linus Ullmark is refreshed and ready for the challenge ahead.

The Ottawa Senators’ top goaltender raised eyebrows on Day 1 of training camp last September, when he noted he wasn’t happy with either his game or his off-season preparation.

His tone was a lot different on Friday, when the 33-year-old Ullmark met with the media for the first time since 2026 camp opened. He was smiling, laughing and even joked about how he felt.

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Ullmark wore a new setup, which included red pads and gloves, presumably to go with the National Hockey League club’s red jersey, and behind the mask you got the sense that he was in a lot better place than he was 365 days ago, now heading into his third full season with the Senators.

His struggles last season have been well-documented. He wasn’t good to start the schedule, took a 35-day leave of absence for mental health reasons, and returned to not only help lead the Senators into the playoffs but also to perform as their best player against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Yes, the Senators were swept in Round 1 by the Hurricanes, but Ullmark gave them a chance to win every night. He finished those four contests with a .932 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average. It allowed him to go into the off-season feeling good about himself.

After last season’s struggles with goaltending throughout the organization, Steve Staios, Ottawa’s president of hockey operations and general manager, decided to take a new approach.

That included bringing in Maciej Szwoch as co-ordinator of goaltending scouting and development.